Question of the Month:
Mothering, Making - but what about the Mating?!

Spring has sprung at last. The bluebells are out in our garden. The apple tree is in blossom and a pair of wood pigeons that nest there are clearly busy. It is the month of May. The mating season has begun.
Mating. The thing that often, though not always, precedes mothering. A mate: your partner; your other half; your significant other; your wife; your husband; your spouse; your girlfriend; your boyfriend; your man; your woman; your dear one; your queer one; your ex. Have I left yours off the list? Please add them in….
I feel nervous as I sit down to write about this. I have said before that I aim to challenge the ‘professional versus personal’ paradigm around which our lives are organised and via which the personal gets a poor name. But isn’t this theme getting a little too personal? It is okay to talk about mothering – it’s personal but valuing it is what I am advocating. It is okay to talk about making – it’s both personal and professional – that’s the point. It straddles both. But your mate? Your partner? Isn’t that a step too far? It feels like a ‘hot spot.’ It is tender, difficult, awkward, and yet it is huge. An elephant in the room, or a father/ mother/ non-binary other, just outside it. All the more reason to brave it. Here goes….

Procreate Project is launching a new platform for the promotion and dissemination of original art-works, prints and publications made by contemporary artists who are mothers.
To further ensure professional development of contemporary female artists with caring responsibilities, the online shop will promote and sell original art worksincluding painting, photography, sculptures, drawings, illustrations and prints.
The art works don’t have necessarily to respond to or be related to the theme of motherhood as the Procreate Project shop aims to promote the work made by mothers, no matter what the theme is.
We will also be selecting hard-to-find publications related to the themes of motherhood, womanhood and feminism.
To apply, visit the website HERE